One of the big differences between Daredevil: Born Again, which finished its first season on the 2025 TV schedule earlier this month, and the original Daredevil series, which was originally released on Netflix, are the people putting these shows together. While Marvel Studios is handling Born Again, Daredevil was handled back in the day by the now-defunct Marvel Television, which was run as a separate entity. It turns out that division is the reason why the series wasn’t able to include more MCU references, which makes me all the more appreciative that Born Again hasn’t had to deal with such restrictions.
This information comes to us from Steven DeKnight, the showrunner for Daredevil Season 1. He gave the following response when a fan asked him on X (formerly known as Twitter) if there had been any plans for the series, which can now be streamed with a Disney+ subscription, to have “more connections to the MCU” or if it was “always intended to be canon from the beginning”:
The MCU and Marvel Television at the time were not exactly simpatico. We had very, very limited access to the toys and had to basically stay in our lane. Which isn't a complaint! I think it forced us to really concentrate on character and not flashy cameos or gimmicks.
People who weren’t invested in MCU lore wouldn’t have been faulted for not knowing that Daredevil existed in the same world as movies like Iron Man and Thor. Outside a few indirect mentions, like when Wilson Fisk’s right-hand man Wesley mentioned how it’d be understandable if Daredevil was so formidable if “he had an iron suit or a magic hammer,” the series might as well have been a standalone offering. Directly tying into fellow Marvel Netflix shows Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Defenders miniseries and The Punisher was no problem, but going any further than that was problematic.
Now that’s not to say Daredevil: Born Again is overflowing with MCU references because it’s a Marvel Studios production. Frankly, it also functions as a pretty self-contained show. But then on top of that, we’ve also seen Charlie Cox reprise Matt Murdock in Spider-Man: No Way Home and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Vincent D’Onofrio reprised Wilson Fisk in Hawkeye, and both appeared in Echo. Ok, so there may be issues with using Kingpin in a Spider-Man movie, but for the most part, the Daredevil-related characters are being warmly welcomed into the wider MCU landscape rather than being kept secluded in their own corner.
Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 is expected to premiere on Disney+ in March 2026. Beyond that, there’s no word on if Matt Murdock, Wilson Fish or any other characters in their direct orbit are set to appear in upcoming Marvel movies or upcoming Marvel TV shows. I certainly hope so, because this synergy has been much more preferable compared to the limitations imposed on the first Daredevil series.
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